Watchcase



(No Model.)

I. MINK.

WATOHGASB.

No. 511,055. Patented Dec. 19, 1893.

hum c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KEYSTONE IVATCII CASE CO MPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

WATCHCAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,055, dated December 19, 1893.

Original application filed December 19, 1889, Serial No. 334,344. Divided and this application filed April 15, 1890. Serial No. 847,989; (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRITZ MINK, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented an Improvement in Vatchcases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to watch cases, and consists of certain improvements, which are fully set forth in the following specification, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 334,344, filed December 19, 1889. In that application is shown a watch case having a flange or support for the movement and an adjustable clamping ring secured to the case from the face side and pressing the movement down upon the flange or the support.

In the presentinvention the watch case center is formed with a flange or shoulder upon its upper side to support the movement and an annular screw threaded clamping ring is screwed from the back of the case to the cenfor to force the movement down upon the shoulder and clamp it in place. The object of this invention is to screw the watch movement securely and removably within the watch case by an adjustable device, which may be adjusted to suit movements of different thicknesses. It is desirable for the perfeet operation of a watch movement that it should be firmly secured within the case and that the dial plate should be firmly held or secured to the front of the movement and not allowed to be loosened.

Different kinds and makes of movements are employed in watch making, and these vary more or less in thickness, and great dihiculty has been met with in adapting the same case to movements of different thicknesses without making alterations or changes therein. Difliculty has also been experienced in se curely fastening the dial plate to the movement, which is a matter of great consequence since the loosening of the dial plate interferes with the movement of the hands, and may entirely stop the watch or cause it to keep imperfect time. The object of this invention is to overcome these difficulties and to produce a watch case in which the movement clamping devices are adjustable so as to be suited without change or alteration in the case itself to movements of different thicknesses, and in which the dial plate is securely held to the front of the movement and prevented from becoming loosened therefrom.

By employing an adjustable clamping ring, which is screwed down upon the movement, the latter is forced upon the annular supporting shoulder at the front of the center, or a uniform pressure about the entire frame of the movement so that it is secured evenly and firmly in place, while by unscrewing the clamping ring the movement may be readily removed if desired. By screwing the clamping ring down to a greater or less degree it may be made to suit the particular thickness of the movement employed, and in that manner is adjustable to different thicknesses of movement.

Referring to the drawingsz-Figure l is a sectional side elevation of a watch case illustrating the principles of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the detailed clamping ring, and Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of a portion of a watch case, illustrating a modification of my invention.

A is the watch case center, and provided upon its front which comes adjacent to the bezel of a watch with a supporting flange or annular rim a.

B is the removable back.

0 is the bezel carrying the glass D.

E is the movement having the usual flange or rim 6.

F is the clamping ring, provided with external screw threadsf to engage with screw threads upon the center. The movement E is placed in the case after the back has been removed, so that its rim e rests upon the flange r rim a of the center. The clamping ring F is then screwed to the center A down upon the rim 6 forcing it with a uniform pressure about its entire rim down upon the.iiange or 5 rim a of the center, so that the dial plate is clamped firmly in place. Itwill be seen that the ring F maybe screwed down to a greater or less degree to suit the size of the movcment In the modification shown in Fig. 3 Gris an inner glass carried by the clamping ring F at the back of the watch case under the cover B.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A watch case having its center formed with a supporting flange at its front side adjacent to the face of the watch in combination with the watch movement supported thereby and an adjustable clamping ring adapted to be screwed to the center from the back of the watch to clamp the movement against said flange.

2. A watch case having its center formed with a supporting flange at its front side adjacent to the face of the watch, in combination with the watch movement supported thereby and an adjustable clamping ring adapted to be screwed'to the center from the back of the watch to clamp the movement against said flange and a glass carried by said clamping ring.

3. A Watch case consisting of a removable back and bezel and a center having a supporting flange at its front side adjacent to the removable bezel and internal screw threads at its rear side adjacent to the removable back, in combination with a movement supported by said flange and an externally screw threaded adjustable clamping ring adapted to be'screwed to the center down upon the movement to clamp it against the supporting flange of the center from the rear side of the watch.

4. A watch case having its center formed with a supporting flange adjacent to the face side thereof, in combination with the movement supported thereby, and an adjustable clamping ring adapted to be screwed to the center from the back thereof to clamp the movement upon said supporting shoulderwith capacity of adjustment to and from the supporting shoulder at the front of the watch case for movements of different thickness.

5. A watch case having its center formed with a supporting flange adjacent to the face side thereof, in combination with the movement supported thereby, an adjustable clamping ring adapted to be screwed to the center from the back thereof to clamp the movement upon said supporting shoulder with capacity of adjustment to and from the supporting shoulder at the front of the watch case for movements, of different thickness and a back or coverindependent of said adjustable clam ping ring.

6. A watch case formed with a supporting.

shoulder adjacent to the face side thereof and provided at its back with a screw threaded rim, in combination with a watch movement supported by said shoulder, and an adjustable clamping ring provided with screw threads for attach ment to the screw threaded face upon which said screw threads are 10- cated unobstructed to permit adjustment of said clamping ring to or from the supporting shoulder at the frontof the watch case, whereby said clamping ring is adapted to clamp the movement upon said supporting shoulder and has capacity of adjustment for movements of different thickness.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

FRITZ MINK. 

